WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 3/5/2014

Arrows from Zion
Serving the Body of Messiah in Israel since August 2001 
& Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

Donations: PayPal acct is donna@israelprayer.com
or make check to Donna Diorio PO Box 111302 Carrollton TX 75006
I do not have tax exempt status. 

Priority Prayer Focus Mar 5, 2014

Someone in Israel yesterday wrote about the Christ at the Checkpoint controversy has become so heated among the Messianic body that relationships are being jeopardized.  This sad fact is our priority prayer focus, as the conference is one week away.

The CATC is not the cause of endangering relationships within the Body of Messiah, but it is the catalyst that reveals the lack of respect and regard for our fellow believers. The heat of controversy is exposing the ugliness within, bringing the dross to the surface.  That is what the Refiner's fire does bringing the dross to the surface so the impurity can be separated from the gold.

Father, make us willing to rid ourselves of these impurities of spirit that do not reflect Heaven. If You are exposing it, it is to give us a chance to get rid of it ourselves.

Contact information for all the ministries is included inside the attached Weekly Summary.
Arrows from Zion
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

Eddie Santoro who leads the Love of Yeshua congregation (Ahavat Yeshua) in Jerusalem writes this week about the spiritual warfare that oppose them in Jerusalem:  “The very powers of hell are set against the reestablishment of the local Body of Messiah in this city, for those same powers know that this great end time event is a necessary precursor to their demise and the return of Yeshua.  We war against this resistance daily and things which might be accomplished easily somewhere else require huge amounts of prayer, perseverance and faith in this final battleground.”

The points he writes of are instructive for those who want to pray over the real issues that the Body of Messiah deals with as representatives of Messiah Yeshua.  Use these insights in your intercessions:
 

“Here in Israel the government is against Jesus. Children are indoctrinated in the public schools to believe that Yeshua is not for the Jewish people. Orthodox Jews work full time to be certain that the local community knows that Jewish believers in Yeshua are really ‘wolves in lamb's clothing’ whose secret agenda is the destruction of the Jewish faith. We are keenly aware that there are often religious spies present when we gather, recording every spoken word so that they can be twisted and used against us in the never ending propaganda war.”

“Believers receive in the mail very enticing and highly funded glossy magazines telling them why they need to leave the faith. One of the leaders in our congregation who is seeking to advance his position at work is being attacked as a Christian missionary. This national rejection of Yeshua is so great that even his wonderful name, ‘Yeshu’ has been replaced by ‘Yeshu’, which is an acronym whose meaning is; ‘May his name be blotted out’.  It is against this backdrop of national rejection that we work so vigorously to return Yeshua to his people.”

While all Messianic Jews have a strong connection and identification with Israel, they also carry an even greater connection and identification with Jesus.  As Santoro writes, “Yeshua is a Jewish name. He is the Jewish Messiah and he came to the Jew first. In the beginning, all of his disciples were Jewish and yet in a calculated and successful strategy of the enemy, this wonderful Jewish Messiah has been made the enemy of his people.” 

The role of the Messianic Body in Israel, their highest calling is to be the demonstration to Israel that Jesus is not the enemy of His people, but their Deliverer.  The Israeli Messianics are ambassadors in their own nation of the Heavenly Kingdom of Yeshua, to bring the inheritance in Messiah to the needy of Israel.  No other group of believers in the world can demonstrate this witness to Israelis as powerfully as the Israeli citizens who are representing Yeshua to Israelis.  The international Church has a part to play, and the part is to pray for and assist the Israeli Body of Messiah to fulfill God’s purpose for them in Israel.

I urge you to read the full article by Eddie Santoro, which gives many insights for intercessors to pray over.  As Santoro notes, “In what may be our greatest victory, the Good News of Yeshua is not only being confined within the walls of our congregation but it is breaking out onto the streets of Jerusalem. Many of our people are students in Israel's universities. Others work in jobs in the secular work place and all of us live in the midst of a predominately unsaved Israeli society.  The opportunities to relate to the ‘unsaved’ are many.”  Spiritual Warfare in the Israeli Ministries

Ron Cantor of Messiah’s Mandate and the Glory of Yeshua/Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv writes about being inspired by a visit last month to a Fort Worh, Texas food bank that is feeding thousands every week.  So when the ministry that was supplying food to the congregation so they could feed 35 families had to cut back because of financial suffering, Canto was inspired to believe God for the additional donations to continue their food delivery to needy families.  It only costs $25 a month to supply a huge care package full of staples – enough to feed one family. 

Yeshua made a strange comment in Matthew 10:42:  “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

In the name of a disciple of Yeshua. Why is that important? Because the one delivering the help is a disciple of Yeshua, and a reflection of goodness that Israel needs to be able to see.  When we give as Christians to those who will not be delivering help as a disciple of Yeshua, then Yeshua is not lifted up to the receiver.  Anyone can do good deeds but only disciples of Yeshua can do God-deeds.

Find out how to contribute to this and the feeding programs of many Israeli ministries inside the attached Weekly Summary.

Cantor also mentioned how “a delegation of Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian Israelis were sent with $30,000 raised throughout congregations in Israel to Jordan—to minister to the needs of Syrian Refugees. There were reports of many salvations.” 

Israel has set up a field hospital just over the Syrian border where doctors have treated over 700 wounded Syrians.  This is a compassionate outreach that Israel did not HAVE to do, but CHOSE to do because of the immense human suffering going on in the war in Syria.  Pray for Syrian Christians especially, but also for those Syrians who are discovering that Israel is not the monstrous enemy they have been indoctrinated to believe.

Cantor, an American-Israeli who also lived in the Ukraine for several years, also asks prayer for the Jews of the Ukraine.  When we pray for “Israel” we are praying for Jews wherever they are in the nations.  There are estimates of up to 400,000 Jews living in the Ukraine and maybe these developments of the Putin gobbling up the Ukraine is a final warning to Ukrainian Jews to ‘get thee to Israel’. 

Asher Intrater, who is the apostolic elder of both the congregation led by Eddie Santoro in Jerusalem and Ron Cantor in Tel Aviv, writes a reminder this week of the upcoming Esther Fast that will be live streamed from Jerusalem on March 13^th (6am-6pm Israel time).   Get further details by clicking the above link.

Intrater’s Revive Israel Ministries also brings an encouraging interview “Receiving Vision for the Salvation of Muslims” by the general manager of Revive, Yourval Yanay.  Even though we do not hear very much at all about what GOD IS DOING among Arabs including Muslims in Israel and the West Bank, God is very much at work.  There is no peace possible if the gospel does not reach into these places, folks!  That is why we have to receive the vision for salvation of Muslims.

Yanay, along with a group of 13 Arabic speaking church leaders from Israel and the West Bank participated in a conference in a European nation recently where 200 people participated - believers from Muslim backgrounds, foreign works doing outreach to Muslims and agencies seeking to support evangelistic work to Muslims in the region.

Yanay notes, “Currently there are 5 million Arabs in Israel and the West Bank. 170,000 of them are Arabic speaking Christians. 5,000 of these are born again and actively seeking to advance the kingdom of God. 300 of these are of Muslim background.”

Yanay represents a growing desire among the young adults within Messianic Judaism who, as Yanay frames it, “believe the joint work of Israeli Jewish believers and Arab believers together is one of the main keys for the salvation of the Muslim people.”

Where their parents have been the pioneers of the Messianic movement and the return of a strong believing Remnant of Jews in Israel, this generation of Messianic Jews (in Israel and in the nations) have a vision for the pioneering mission to come together with their Arab counterparts to support the proclamation of the Gospel to the Arabs too.  Every generation has a mission that beats in their collective hearts from God.  This one new man unity appears to be the mandate of the generation rising. Let us pour our prayers behind their mission.  Read more of Youval Yanay’s interview insider the attached Weekly Summary.

David Lazarus, of Beit Immanuel congregation writes, Who Will Open the Door, and article about the domestic violence that happens behind closed doors in Israel, and throughout the world.  He notes that 56 domestic violence reports to police occur every day.  Lazarus concentrates his article on the ministry of Orna Greeman of A Sign and A Wonder ministry who ministers to women and orphans.  (Greenman is currently speaking in the U.S. and her itinerary is published inside the attached Weekly Summary.)

Greenman has witnessed many families in the Messianic community suffering from some form of domestic violence and abuse. "Many of the men and women that come to faith in Messiah in Israel come from broken and dysfunctional families. They just don't have the tools to end the abuse and restore a healthy environment in the home," she says.

Lazarus writes:  “Sometimes even the Bible is misused to prevent intervention in abusive families. "The word of God says submit to your husband. Humble yourself and turn the other check," one local pastor told the wife and mother of two children suffering domestic abuse during 25 years from her husband who was a servant in the local congregation.  When the mother finally received 'permission' from another Messianic leader to go to the police, the husband was removed from the family for three months. Enough time for Greenman and her team to begin the long process of restoration for the mother and her children. ‘When the abusing husband realized that he had lost everything he finally came to his senses. The family is now miraculously restored,’ smiles Greenman.” 

The salvation of Israel does not end with hearing and receiving the good news of Messiah, but salvation to the uttermost requires the ongoing discipling of the ministries and congregations of Messianic believers.  Please pray for these ministries who are the feet of Yeshua in the Land of Israel bringing healing and deliverance.

Speaking of being at the feet of Yeshua, following the Esther Fast and the Christ at the Checkpoint conference coming up next week, the Israeli ministry leaders are to meet for the next Sitting at Yeshua’s Feet prayer retreat.  With emotions running so high in Israel, pray that God will speak to the ministry leaders is a clear voice in their time together.  That He will prevail over the heat of this season.

Daniel and Vered Chen Rozen of Living Stone Ministries have just opened the Israel Prayer Tower in Jerusalem.  Kobi and Shani Ferguson of Yeshua Israel are part of the worship team participating there and include a good report about the new prayer facility in their latest monthly prayer letter.  The Israel Prayer Tower is now the highest place of worship in the city and Israeli musicians and intercessors as well as international prayer interns from all over the world are invited to come to beseech God on behalf of Israel.
 
Howard Bass of the Yesha’s Inheritance/Nachalat Yeshua congregation in Beer Sheva asks for prayers concerning the Christ at the Checkpoint conference.  Bass writes, “while I do not, and cannot, endorse the conference, neither am I praying against it, nor boycotting it.  I have also been in direct communication personally with the Arab and Jewish leaders about my position regarding this conference.”

Bass further notes, “As in the past, this conference is revealing very heated discussion within the Messianic body here, relationships are being affected, and we need the Holy Spirit to move within us all to withstand all the pressures to bring and to exacerbate divisions, but also to set us free and sanctify us with Truth.”

Danny Meyuseff of Gideon’s Army announces that he has left the Gardens of Life which is owned by Israel’s pro-Life Ministry, Be’Ad Chaim.  Due to restrictions on non-profits in Israel, the visions of Be’Ad Chaim and Meyuseff came into conflict.  Pray for Danny as he continues to pursue his vision to help the needy, and also for Be’Ad Chaim as women all over Israel are shown another way to deal with pregnancy in challenging circumstances.  You can read more about the ministry of the Meyuseff’s inside the attached Weekly Summary.

Praying the Headlines

Martin Sarvis in Jerusalem writes an excellent report, “The End of Dhimmitude?” in the Galilee, but not in Raqqa.  You can read it in full inside the Weekly Summary.  Here is an excerpt:

“Dhimmitude (from Arabic dhimmi) is a word coined about 30 years ago which refers to legal and social conditions of Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule. In a stronger form, it may relate to a special social condition resulting from jihad (Islamic holy war)-a state of fear and insecurity of those deemed 'infidels' who are required to accept a condition of humiliation. By their peaceful surrender to the Islamic army, they obtain the security for their life, belongings and religion, but they have to accept a condition of inferiority, spoliation and humiliation" (Bat Ye'or).

“A few months ago an article appeared in The Jerusalem Post entitled "The End of Dhimmitude." The author described how certain "Christian Arab" communities in Israel's northern Galilee are beginning to break away from a certain "catagorization" which for centuries has seen those native non-Jewish peoples of the region who embraced Christianity as being first of all "Arabs", and as such, in alliance with the Muslim Arab majority.”

“….But now that may be beginning to change, with a small but growing movement among Christian Arabs in several communities of northern Israel re-embracing their "pre-Islamic non-Arab identity as an old-new collective Aramean/Aramaic-speaking Oriental narrative" (Ibid.). In some cases, this includes an inclination towards dropping the name "Arab" entirely, seeing it as having been imposed on them from Arabia and associating them with Islam.”

Urgent HEALING Needs: Life and Death is in the power of the tongue

Please keep in prayer the Israeli believers who are fighting for their lives or other urgent health needs: 

• Shlomy Abramov of AwakeIsrael asks prayer for his wife who went in for a surgery, there was a complication and she almost died.  She is home but Shlomy had to hire a 24/7 nurse. Miriam is very weak, anemic needing an infusion of iron to help in producing the blood.  Doctors expect a month before recovery.  They need a miracle.
• Arni & Yonit Klein of Emmaus Way request prayers for staff in the U.S. (Becky and Keith) and in Germany (Hannah).  We reported the extremely serious injuries of Keith and of Hannah months ago, now in caretaking Becky is also suffering physical strain and pain.  Keith is beginning to be able to move both legs a bit, but Hannah is still in intense physical therapy with pain spreading.  They would appreciate prayers.
• Howard Bass at Nachalat Yeshua asks prayers for German (pronounced with hard 'g'), who suffered a stroke a couple of weeks ago.  German is 83 yrs old, but has been in excellent health.
• Brian Slater’s wife Racheli has suffered a broken hip/Femural Neck Fracture from a fall in their home. She will be on crutches for two months. Appreciate prayers.
• Four elder ministry leaders in Israel, are dealing with Parkinson’s which is a neurological syndrome.  Since they have not shared this information, I will just ask for you to please pray for them each to be able to continue to live normal lives, and for the hand of the LORD to bless them with healing.
• Harvest of Asher   Elena is in need of continued prayer. The tests for the cancer all came out good. However she is still receiving chemo and experiencing extreme side effects. Please pray for a 11-yr old autistic boy who functions at a high level, but has declined emotionally with a change in schools this year.  Pray for Marina & her daughter suffering from a genetic hearing disease.
• Please pray for the wife of Ariel Ben David, who leads an Eilat Congregation, and also for his worship leader, both of whom were recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Pray for Ami Ortiz for ongoing issues from the 2008 bomb blast – and that he would win the appeal for government recognition that he is a terror victim.  It would mean benefits for the continuing surgeries and legal expenses.  See Leah’s report on their website of the latest round of laser surgeries on Ami’s scarring in this issue.
•  

Mark Your Calendar

Esther – A Parable for the End Time Church  |  In this VIDEO, Asher Intrater shares about the need for us to come together like in Esther's time: to pray for a great breakthrough of salvation; and that what the devil and the forces of this world mean for evil – God would turn around for good and a great victory.

To watch, click HERE!

As thebattle rages, we encourage you to join the greater Body of Messiah in Israel as Revive Israel hosts a day of prayer and fasting. As Esther, her maids and all the Jews in Shushan did in the Book of Esther, (Esther 4:13-17) we will be crying out to the Lord on Thursday March 13! We will be broadcasting (6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Israeli time) on Live Stream and will send you the link before the event.

Inside the attachment of the
Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Arrows from Zion can be shared freely.  Just copy and paste this email into a Word document to make it easy to print.  However, we ask the Weekly Summaries not be forwarded or information republished without consent of the specific ministries. The Weekly Summary is by subscription only, write arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com

Teaching Articles

"Nasi" - Lifted Up 

By Asher Intrater 
Read the full short teaching inside the Weekly Summary.

Israeli Ministries on Tours

BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Orna Greenman of A Sign & A Wonder, Joel Jelski of Succat Hallel and Brian Slater of Chosen People.

 Israel Watcher – A Second Opinion   Mostly political or current events commentary
| Fruit of the Fig Tree   Spiritual insights 

If you appreciate the efforts of this ministry to share both the  challenges and the great things God is doing among the Israeli indigenous ministries, please pray about making a financial gift donation.  Make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio and mail to:
Israel Prayer  P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006
Or click on the PayPal account:  donna@israelprayer.com
I do not have tax exempt status.